A Fallen Star
by TheWitchNextDoor
Summary: Megatron decides Starscream has outlived his usefulness. Battered and broken, Starscream escapes the Nemesis only to crashland in a tiny Arizona town. Just when he's ready to give up, a mechanic comes along to remind him he deserves better. (Starscream/OC)
1. Mistakes

**Title:** Mistakes

 **Disclaimer:** Still don't own Transformers.

 **Warning:** This story contains violence, grievous bodily harm, and mentions of abuse. Also, like most of my fics, this is heavily inspired by Prime but contains strong influences from other continuities.

* * *

Starscream had made a lot of mistakes in his life. He'd had a lot of plans, good and bad, backfire. He was no stranger to things blowing up in his face or people stabbing him in the back. He was certainly no stranger to Megatron's wrath, having been on the receiving end of it more times than he could count. Of anything that had ever gone wrong for him, however, he had to admit this was the worst. (With the exceptions, of course, of the destruction of Vos, the bombing of the Youth Sectors, and the day Skywarp had nearly been offlined forever. All tragedies he had not prevented that were too great to measure.)

He'd pulled through everything that had been thrown at him in the past, always with a renewed sense of determination. This time was different. After vorns of deception and mutual betrayals, he had finally gone too far. That invisible line had been crossed. Megatron had torn into him with a brutal-ness that had always been held back before. He meant to kill. Not with that first attack, no, that would have been too merciful for Megatron's taste. He meant for Starscream to just barely survive, once, twice, until he grew bored and let his once proud second in command bleed out on the floor of a prison cell.

Starscream felt rage, burning hot, churning inside him. Or maybe that was just the energon and fluid leaking inside his frame, boiling from the heat. His cooling systems were down, he was barely functioning; his entire frame burned from how hard he was pushing himself. He knew his own limits, knew he had surpassed them long ago, but he kept going. That had always been his greatest strength, as much as it was his weakness. He just didn't know when to quit. Unfortunately, pushing one's limits had consequences, and he didn't know how much longer he could stay in the air.

He eyed the scenery below him, trying to guess how far from the Nemesis he'd flown. His systems were far too mangled to keep track of time, and he'd been flying in a blind, painful haze since he'd slipped away from the drones guarding the cells. His optics flickered on and off, and warnings flashed across his vision. He could barely make out the ground beneath him, but he caught glimpses of green and trees, a mountain standing tall before him. Surely that meant he'd flown a good distance from the barren desert where the Decepticons and Autobots hid? It would have to be far enough.

He descended, trying to avoid the trees and the buildings, and the side of the mountain. The town below him was small and spread out, the trees weren't dense, but it was still the most difficult landing he'd ever attempted. Really, all he could do was point in the general direction of relatively clear land, slow down as much as he could, and pray to Primus he survived.

Starscream's first thought when he hit the ground was: _frag, I'm dead._ For one horrifying klick everything went blank. He couldn't see, couldn't hear, couldn't feel. Then the pain came rushing back and he realized he had to be alive, because not even the pit could be so painful. Groaning in agony, Starscream lifted his helm and was vaguely aware that he was now in his bipedal mode. The landing must've jarred his T-cog. With what little strength he could muster, Starscream crawled out of the trench he'd carved into the ground and drug himself to a tree large enough for him to slump against.

He coughed, spewing dirt and energon. Pit, he was in a sorry state. He wished his trine mates were here, longed for his brothers with an intensity he hadn't felt since he'd drug the three of them into this damned war. Starscream knew they'd come if he opened up his side of the bond, and that's why he had to keep himself shut off from them. He didn't want them to feel the full weight of his suffering. And if they came for him, they'd be traitors, and Megatron would delight in destroying the only thing left in the world Starscream loved. He couldn't do that to them. If he offlined, they would suffer, but they would still have each other. They'd still go on.

Starscream stared down at his chassis, or what was left of it. Megatron's claws had made quick work of his lightweight metal, leaving only his spark chamber intact. Everything else was twisted or torn, leaking and sparking. If he offlined? Who was he kidding, he didn't stand a chance on his own. Maybe he should just accept his fate. Maybe he just wasn't meant to lead, or live. Maybe he should just give in. Starscream lifted shaking servos and reached into his chassis, struggling to plug or reconnect his severed tubes. Miraculously, he managed to stop a leak or two before the warmth and feeling drained from his servos and he finally let them fall uselessly to his sides.

Starscream had made a lot of mistakes in his life. He was starting to think the biggest was following Megatron, and he was finally going to pay for that mistake with his life.

* * *

This was painful to write. Also I swear I'm working on Twists & Turns its just Starscream was demanding to be written. I can't deny my favorite Seeker.


	2. Impossible Projects

**Title:** Impossible Projects

 **Disclaimer:** I still don't own Transformers.

* * *

Eira had a lot of hobbies and twice as many interests. Some had been brief affairs, like her stamp collection or her disastrous attempts at pottery. Others endured her fickle nature and remained with her to this day. She still adored every genre of music she'd ever dabbled in, which was nearly all of them, and she still managed a tiny vegetable garden in the front yard. Out of all of her dalliances over the years, from her fling with costume design to her summer love of marine biology, there was only one thing she had ever called a passion. Sure, the other things were fun, and she'd enjoyed them, but for as long as she could remember she'd had an undying fascination for taking things apart and putting them back together.

Nothing filled her with as much joy as fixing something. The more difficult the better, of course, but she wasn't picky. She'd repair anything from children's toys to toaster ovens to cars. The sense of accomplishment when she finished a project was the warmest feeling she could think of. She was never happier than when she was elbow deep in an impossible project, and more often than not, that's where she was to be found. That was particularly true of nights like these, warm and clear, stars shining brightly as she reveled in the silence broken only by the steady rhythm of her work.

Eira was well aware the old junker she was working on would more than likely never run again. It had been driven by old Mr. Ferrington until it had been worn to hell and back. The poor old thing had quit and never showed a spark of life since. Eira had never been one to give up on a lost cause, though, and she had to say she enjoyed working on the rusted fossil. It was a great way to de-stress, at least for her.

She was so relaxed, in fact, she barely noticed the noise at first. When she did really notice it, it didn't concern her much. The roar of a passing aircraft wasn't really uncommon to the citizens of Collusion. Then it started to get louder, and louder, and she realized with a start that whatever was flying in was very close. Eira slammed the hood and lifted a hand to shield her eyes from the glare of the old streetlight she used to illuminate the back of her shop.

And then . . . _something_ happened. Eira wasn't entirely sure _what_ happened, because all she caught a glimpse of was something big and silver, and then she was diving to the ground. (No one had heard her shriek of fear as she dove for cover, so therefore it didn't happen and no one can say it did.) The thing - she still thought it was an aircraft, but she wasn't sure what kind of aircraft - soared overhead with a deafening noise. There was an earthshaking crash, and then sudden and total silence.

Eira lay on the ground, ears ringing and breathing heavily. She waited a few minutes to make sure nothing else was going to fall out of the sky, and then struggled unsteadily to her feet.

"What. The fuck. Was _that?!_ " Eira ran a hand through thick auburn hair as she continued to take deep breaths, losing her fight against the rising panic. "Oh man, on man, this is bad."

Terrified that she had just witnessed a jet full of people hurtling towards their doom, Eira frantically dug through her toolbox until she came across her flashlight. Still shell shocked and moving on autopilot, she took off towards the crash sight as fast as her legs could carry. About halfway there she realized she had no idea what to do when she got there, but she'd already come so far she didn't see much point in turning around. Determined, she dodged a rock, ducked under a branch, and then leapt over a fallen tree - only to fall several feet into a smoldering pit.

"Son of a - !"

Eira landed with a thump before she could finish her curse. Thankfully, the recently torn up ground was soft and she managed not to land awkwardly enough to break something. Grumbling in a mixture of anger and anxiety, Eira (after several failed tries) managed to haul herself up and out of the trench. Words left her and her anger drained away. She lifted her flashlight, illuminating the sight before her from pedes to helm.

Propped up against a tree was the something that had flown overhead; not a jet, but a robot, silver and red and at least twenty feet tall. Eira would have ran, but the robot didn't seem to be in any shape to move, let alone attack her. It was a horrible sight, really. His limbs, thin and delicate looking, were covered in dents and dirt. It looked as though someone had punched a hole through one of the wings protruding from his back. The worst of it, though, was that something had ripped open his chest, exposing all sorts of ripped tubing and wires. He was oozing something pink and glowy, like he was bleeding.

He must've sensed her watching (or maybe he'd heard her muttering), because he turned to look at her. Eira took a step back and nearly fell back down, but he just stared at her with dim red eyes. Eira blurted the first thing that came to mind.

"Are you okay?"

She immediately felt like kicking herself. If the big metal man was sentient and feeling, he was definitely not okay. The big hole in his chest made that pretty obvious. The robot didn't seem to notice that it was a stupid question, though.

 _"It's so cold."_

It was the tone of his voice that shocked her the most. She had expected something robotic, emotionless, if she even got an answer at all. Instead she could hear his pain, his fear, his desperation. She could hear that he was fading. And that kicked her into gear. Eira turned on her heels and ran back towards her home and shop just as fast as she'd come, making a mental lost of tools and supplies. There would be more time for fear and curiosity and questions later. He was dying, and she'd be damned if she'd just sit back and let anyone - even a giant robot - die without a fight.

He had just become her impossible project, and she was feeling more determined than ever.

* * *

So, remember how I said I was gonna do a fic with Soundwave and a mechanic? Yeah, I scrapped that. Have Starscream and a mechanic instead because he's great.


	3. All Nighters & Odd Diners

**Title:** All Nighters  & Odd Diners

 **Disclaimer:** I still don't own Transformers.

 ****Note:** The name of the town has been changed. I originally named it "Desert Rose" as a reference to desert rose gypsum, and more vaguely as a reference to Jasper. It's name is now Collusion, a form of cheating in poker involving the cooperation of two or more players. This references the town Collusion is loosely inspired by (Show Low, Arizona) and fits the story better, in my opinion.

* * *

Eira had absolutely no idea what she was doing, but that didn't stop her from doing it. She wasn't entirely sure what one would need to repair a giant robot with a gaping hole in his chest, or the full extent of the bot's damages, so she gathered all the tools and supplies she owned and piled them in the back of her rusty S-10. She didn't stop for even a second as she flew from her shop to her home to her truck, afraid she'd have some sort of breakdown if she did. It was sheer adrenaline that kept her jogging back to her truck, even as she was yanking a dull jumpsuit on over tattered jeans, and leaping into the drivers seat. The old engine sputtered in protest as she slammed her foot on the accelerator, but she didn't have time to worry for it.

It only took her a few minutes to reach him. Granted, she had been hauling ass and swerving around trees like a maniac, but it was still frightening. If he'd been flying any lower he could've taken out her home, her garage, and _her_. Eira pulled to a stop between the robot and the gouge in the ground, and twisted the key out of habit. The engine died and she mentally cursed herself. It would have been smarter to keep it running in case she had to flee the scene, but her truck had serious issues with idling, and it had become almost instinct to shut down every time she stopped. There was only a fifty-fifty shot the engine would even start again, so she assured herself there was no possible way anymore giant robots were going to fall from the sky (which was surprisingly difficult) and hopped out of the truck.

Eira stared at the mangled mechanical being and felt all of her adrenaline drain away, leaving her cold and weak at the knees. She clung tightly to the door, afraid her legs might give out on her. He was slumped against a tree barely tall enough to support him, his head lolled to one side. The metal of his chest was twisted outward, and glinted in the starlight. His eyes had gone dark, and that pink substance continued to drip from his wounds. Eira had seen dead bodies before. She'd been to her fair share of funerals, even witnessed a fatal hit and run as a child. He looked dead. Was there even anything she could do?

Eira detached herself from the door and fumbled through a few safety precautions. Hair tied back, jumpsuit zipped, gloves on, goggles secured; she didn't know what that glowing ooze would do to bare skin, but she didn't want to find out. After double checking that her boots were tied tightly, she took a deep breath and walked right up to him. He didn't move. She pressed a hand to his leg. Even through her glove she could feel the cold. Still, he didn't move. Eira took one more deep breath and started to scale the robot.

Now, Eira wasn't afraid of heights by any means. She'd been raised in the shadow of the Superstition Mountains. Hiking and climbing were second nature to her; she adored airplanes. Hell, she'd even been bungee jumping and sky diving. But climbing up the body of an unconscious, sentient robot was a lot different than scaling a rock wall. He had all of these sharp edges that threatened to impale her, and it was difficult to find hand or foot holds that wouldn't slice her open. Then there was the ooze, which was slicker than oil and clung to her clothes. It took a few close calls (she'd nearly had a panic attack, but only one, which she thought was pretty impressive under the circumstances) but she finally managed to haul herself up to the hole in his chest. The damage seemed even more horrific up close. She ran her fingers along a deep gouge in the metal, and realized with a start that they were claw marks. She had to force down a wave of terror, because this meant there were more than just one of these machines - and at least one of them was homicidal.

She really couldn't think about that right now; she had a job to do, and she couldn't lose her nerve already. Eira forced herself to focus on the tangled mess of tubes and wires, many of which connected - or had connected - to what seemed to be a fuel pump of sorts. While almost everything around it was damaged, the pump itself seemed untouched. Someone had made sure he wouldn't die quickly. Bile burned the back of her throat; she forced it down. Her eyes followed the path of two larger tubes. She was surprised to see they had been repaired - or at least, someone had tried to repair them. The work was shaky and the tubes still leaked, but it was obvious someone had tried to fix them. He had tried to save himself, most likely. Eira took that to mean they were the most important, and she should repair them first.

Her eyes were then drawn to the only other thing that didn't seem to be damaged. It was round, located roughly in the upper center of his chest, and was covered in the pink substance, which seemed to be glowing even brighter here. Eira wasn't sure what compelled her to reach out and wipe the ooze away, even though she risked slipping and tumbling into his chest, but she couldn't help herself. As the pink was wiped away, Eira realized it wasn't the ooze that was glowing brighter, but a ball of blue light, visible through a circle of thick glass. She pressed her hand against it, and her breath hitched. It was warm. She could barely feel it, but it was. And it pulsed beneath her fingers, humming a weak rhythm, like a heartbeat or a soul song. Hope soared, her determination returned. He was alive, and he was going to stay that way.

Repairing the tubes wasn't nearly as hard as she'd expected it to be. Not to say that it was easy, because it wasn't. She'd had the sense to secure herself to a tree limb with some of her climbing gear, but that didn't completely eliminate the possibility of impaling herself on something pointy. It was becoming increasingly more difficult to avoid splashing pink ooze on her face, and she'd discovered that bumping the wrong wire could lead to a serious shock. All of that, and a hundred other things, aside however, she found she actually knew what she was doing, mostly. The technology, though admittedly advanced, was surprisingly similar to what you'd find in a vehicle. As her hands moved automatically, reconnecting and sealing tubing, her mind moved even faster, taking note of damages and forming a mental check list of what she would repair first, and what she would need to do it.

* * *

Eira had always had a habit of losing herself in her projects, and it wasn't uncommon for her to work straight through the night, so she wasn't all surprised when she pulled away from the robot and saw the sun had come up. She took advantage of the light to inspect the work she'd done. It wasn't a lot, but it was something, and it bolstered her confidence to know she'd completed one of her tasks. From what she could gather, the fuel pump was about a third of the way full, which at least meant she'd kept him from bleeding out. Next she'd work on -

Her stomach grumbled loudly, rudely yanking her out of the zone and into reality. Eira braced one hand on a rare bit of undamaged metal and shook her head, which only made her realize how dizzy she was. She glanced up at the brightening sky and then down at her dirty jumpsuit. As much as she didn't want to leave, she needed food, coffee, and to wash the pink ooze out of her hair. It was also Saturday morning, and if she didn't show up for breakfast at the Clubs diner people would wonder about her. The last thing she needed was for some one to show up and find her working on . . . whatever he was. Eira sighed and made her way back to the ground. Five minute shower, ten minute breakfast, and then she'd get back to work.

* * *

Eira stepped into the diner, and despite how tired and sore and a little scared she was, she couldn't help but smile. The atmosphere was warm and friendly, the air full of delicious smells, and several people paused their conversations to wave at her. The heavy dose of normalcy was comforting. She flashed Mr. and Mrs. Ferrington a smile and made her way down to the same both she'd sat at every Saturday for three years, and tapped on the table as she sat down to gain the attention of her closest friend.

Catrina Quinlan tore her big green eyes from this morning's crossword puzzle and blinked a few times before breaking into a wide, toothy smile.

"Eira! I thought you'd gone and forgotten me, honey." She said brightly, Texan accent still shining after six years away from home, "What on Earth did you do to your hair?"

"My hair?" Eira asked, frowning, "What do you mean?"

Catrina quirked an eyebrow and reached out, wrapping Eira's bangs around her finger and giving them a slight tug. Eira was startled to see a large section of her auburn bangs had been bleached a pinkish white.

"Oh, uh, that. You know, just one of my things. Hair styling, and stuff. Hey, what's Garris harassing Margie about this morning?" Eira motioned to the old man at the counter, talking animatedly to a disinterested older waitress.

Catrina, long used to her friend's quirks, accepted the lie and turned around to stare at the pair. "Dunno. Hey, Garris! Stop talkin' the poor lady to death. Margie, Eira over here needs the usual fore she keels over."

Margie waved a hand at her and hurried off to place the order, grateful to be out of the conversation. Henry Garris turned around in his stool, wrinkled face pulled into his usual suspicious scowl.

"You mind your own business, Catty Quin! This is a serious conversation! Why, I saw aliens last night with my own two eyes!"

Eira, who had nabbed Catrina's coffee while she was distracted, promptly choked on it. Luckily her friend was too busy scoffing to notice. Her mechanical man wasn't an alien . . . was he? Sure, it probably made more sense than an Earth made sentient robot, but . . . holy shit.

"Garris, you see aliens everywhere. What was it this time? Little green men?" Catrina laughed.

"It was a genuine alien space craft!" Garris insisted, turning his gaze to Eira, "In fact, it went right over your garage!"

Eira coughed and recovered quickly. "Oh yeah, I saw your spaceship alright. Landed out at Tom Kaine's place. Came right out and abducted him and his horses. Little green men everywhere!"

Garris scowled and turned away, which was her goal. She didn't want Garris poking around her property looking for aliens . . . again. Margie came over with her order, and a thank you for shutting him up, and Eira dug into her banana pancakes without hesitation.

Catrina propped her chin on her hand and eyed her friend critically. "You look like crap, girl. Did you sleep at all last night?"

Eira shrugged and swallowed. "Not really. You know how I am when I get into something. I'll crash when I get back."

"If you don't get some sleep I'm gonna have to knock you out." Catrina warned as she stood up and scooped up her bag, "I've got a mid mornin' class, so I better head out. The hair looks awful, by the way."

"I'm dying it back!" Eira shouted at Catrina's rapidly retreating back. She blinked, and then twisted around to call to Margie, who was seeing to the Ferringtons, "Did she pay for her meal?"

"Said it was on you."

"I can't believe I'm friends with that woman."

Eira groaned and then downed the rest of her coffee. There wasn't much point in sticking around now that Catrina had left; she needed a nap and she needed to work. She tossed her money down on the table and strolled out to the parking lot. The sound of a jet made her freeze, her heart leapt into her throat. She looked towards the sky, but saw nothing but a glimpse of purple. Had she imagined it? Eira rushed to her truck, sleep now the last thing on her mind.

She didn't know why, but she needed to get home. She had to get to him - and make sure nobody else did.

* * *

*makes you wait for a chapter where nothing happens*

The repairs have begun and we meet some characters. I couldn't be happy with this chapter. It's probably the lack of Starscream. It's also shorter than originally intended because I realized a fee things would fit better in the next chapter.


	4. Chemical Burns & Sibling Concerns

**Title:** Chemical Burns  & Sibling Concerns

 **Disclaimer:** I still don't own Transformers.

* * *

Eira woke to the sound of the _Pussycat Dolls_ , which she quickly decided was a terrible way to wake up. She wondered what she had been thinking when she programmed _When I Grow Up_ as her sister's ringtone. Then she wondered how she'd managed to curl her long body up in a ball in the passenger's seat when she distinctly remembered passing out while sitting up in the driver's seat. After a moment of thought she brushed it off as just one of her weird things, and tried to uncurl herself.

It was the third worst decision of her life. (The worst decision of her life was still a tie between getting drunk in a fishing boat and dating Jarred Ridge.) She was sore from skin to bone and head to toe; the muscles in her back seized painfully as she struggled into a sitting position and snatched her phone off the dashboard. She didn't even glance at the screen as she hit answer and held the phone to her ear.

"The fuck do you want, Hollywood?" She greeted, making a face at the scratchy sound of her own voice. She rolled her shoulder until it cracked and ducked down to search the floorboards for a water bottle.

 _"Were you just sleeping?"_

Eira could practically hear her sister's round nose crinkling in disapproval; aside from hazel eyes and a name on their birth certificates, it was the only thing they had in common.

"No, I was running a damn marathon. Of course I was sleeping, Melody, it's Saturday." Eira came up with a half empty water bottle from the floorboards and dug a bottle of ibuprofen out of the glove box.

 _"You're always so bitchy when get into a new project. Don't you miss your dear, sweet baby sister?"_

Eira swallowed four tablets, downed the rest of the water, and rolled her eyes.

"California's not that far away." Eira balanced the phone between her cheek and shoulder as she wrestled the door open and hopped out. A frown flashed across her face as she noticed there were streaks of dead, blackened plants leading from the pit to the robot. "Uh, and anyway, I see you more than I see our mother, and she lives in the same state as me."

 _"I'm just going to pretend you didn't mention that woman and keep smiling. Whatcha working on?"_

Eira glanced up at the face of her mechanical man. ". . . just a little something for a friend. Look, we both know you don't know the difference between a bolt and a screw so just ask for whatever you're after, alright? It's nice to talk to you and all, but I'm seriously busy."

 _"I can't believe you would assume - okay, so you remember Mike, right?"_

"Huh." Eira made a noncommittal sound at the mention of what she assumed was one of her sister's almost boyfriends as she yanked a semi clean jumpsuit out of the truck bed.

 _"Well, he's kind of broke. College life, you know? But he's got this, like, awesome looking car and it's having some trouble -"_

Eira paused, jumpsuit halfway on, and scowled at her phone. "What do you expect me to do about it? Fly over and fix it for him?"

 _"No, that's stupid. He just needs this particular part, and if you could maybe get it for him for cheap . . . "_

Eira's nose wrinkled in annoyance. "You want me to hunt down some old part for some shitty car so you can hook up with Mike?"

 _"Yes, exactly. I'll give you favorite sister status for like, a month."_

" _Fine_." Eira groaned, not nearly as annoyed as she pretended to be. She zipped her jumpsuit and started fussing with her hair, determined by to avoid bleaching anymore of it. "Speaking of sisters, you hear from Caylin lately?"

 _"Talked to her a few days ago. She's . . . doing something big, I guess. You know I follow that video game stuff about as well as I understand mechanics."_

"Well, I don't get a lick of your philosophy mumbo jumbo, so I guess we're even." Eira said, earning a laugh from her sister, "Listen, after I'm done with this project, I was thinking the three of us get together at the cabin. Gotta force Caylin to breath fresh air every now and then, and I miss you guys."

 _"Miss you more."_

"You're so competitive. Hey, I meant it when I said I was busy." Eira shifted the phone from one ear to the other and checked her tool belt for everything she'd need to work on the wires, "Love you, but I gotta go."

 _"Love you too, sis."_

The line went dead and Eira paused long enough to glance at the time. Eleven thirty four. She'd probably slept for about two hours, which was just enough to keep her running. She imagined she'd crash sometime tomorrow morning, but until then she had work to do. Eira tapped on a random favorite station from her radio app and shoved her phone in a pocket before yanking on her gloves and eye gear. She stepped towards the robot and then paused for a moment, her eyes picking out bits and pieces of an F-22. So she had heard a jet. Eira filed that bit of information in her imaginary Things To Freak Out About Later cabinet and began the climb half up to his chest.

* * *

Eira wasn't entirely sure where to start this time. With the tubes she had simply started with the heaviest leaks and worked backwards from there. She eyed one of the largest wires, which seemed to connect the glowing soul thing to the rest of the frame, or something. Honestly, she was sort of taking guesses at how to piece this thing back together, but the wire looked important so it seemed like a good place to start. That was, until she actually tried to start.

The first thing she needed to do was decide how to connect the wires. Soldering was tossed out the window pretty quickly, followed by the alligator clip and crimping methods, all of which required tools far larger than what she possesed. In the end she found herself debating between electric tape and hot glue. She'd need to pick up a hell of a lot more materials either way, but they were the best options considering the circumstances. The glue was stronger, but she wasn't sure how her giant metal friend would feel about having glue all over his circuits, so she settled for the tape. The next step was stripping the wire, which she again lacked the proper sized tools for. After she made it over that hurdle, she had to twist the wires together without falling into his chest or bring splashed with the pink stuff that still coated his insides.

Eira leaned back and took a few deep breaths, more to calm her frustration than out of exhaustion. She'd always loved a challenge, but the idea that a life might be depending on her repairs made every little setback or delay incredibly stressful. She closed her eyes and counted to ten. Then she opened them again and pulled out her tape. Work still had to be done, she reminded herself again. When she leaned in to continue, however, she froze. Was it her imagination, or . . . Eira stared in wide eyed fascination as the wires slowly seemed to meld together. It was . . . _healing_. She only had a few moments to wonder at that.

Energy surged through the repaired wire. The robot suddenly spasmed violently, throwing Eira off balance. She jerked forward, barely saving herself from tumbling forward by grabbing desperately at the edge of his wound. Jagged metal pierced her gloves, digging painfully into her flesh. Eira's snapped up; she saw a blur of pink rushing towards her face. She had just enough time to think _**shit**_ before it hit her.

* * *

Starscream was in _agony_. He couldn't see; he couldn't move. He wasn't even sure if he was awake. He was trapped in the darkness, feeling nothing but cold and pain and confusion. He should have bled to death, so why was he alive? And he knew he was alive because although he couldn't see or speak or move, he could hear. He couldn't be in the Pit because music was playing so loudly he could make out the lyrics even through his haze _. (I don't hate you, I just want to save you, while there's still something left to save.)_ There was a scream, the familiar sound of someone in pain. He wondered what had happened. It was his last thought before he slipped back into stasis lock.

* * *

The pain hit him so fast and so hard he nearly dropped out of the sky. For one terrifying minute he was in so much agony he couldn't see. He heard Skywarp scream in the distance. Then it was gone, as quickly as it had come. Thundercracker turned and dove for the plateau beneath him, transforming midair to land in bipedal form. The second his pedes hit ground, Skywarp was in his faceplates.

"Did you feel that?" He demanded, though he knew the answer, "We need to find him!"

Thundercracker placed a servo on Skywarp's shoulder to steady them both, his spark still throbbing painfully from the pain Starscream had projected. "We need to go back."

Skywarp's expression said he'd have been less furious if Thundercracker had smacked him. "Are you crazy? Starscream-!"

"Is going to need energon and supplies we don't have." Thundercracker said firmly, though the thought of leaving bothered him as much as it did his trine mate, "We need to go back and . . . acquire them. We know Starscream is close. We'll find him now that we know where to look. But we need those supplies."

Skywarp wanted to argue, but relented after a brief stare down, wings dropping in defeat. "And if someone catches on and gets in our way?"

Thundercracker didn't hesitate. "We kill them."

* * *

The ooze hit her dead center in the eye, splashing off her goggles and dousing the left side of her face. The pain was instant and unbearable. Eira screamed; it burned like acid. She shoved off of the robot, falling until the rope hooked to her harness brought her to a sharp stop just before she hit the ground. Having miraculously avoided impalement on the sharp protrusions on his legs, and being too miserable to appreciate it, Eira freed herself from the harness and scrambled towards her truck.

She tore her bloodied gloves off and tossed them to the ground, barely noticing the pain in her hands as she yanked the door open and snatched the water bottle up. Eira dumped half of it on her face, pulled off the goggles, and dumped the rest. It helped a little, but God, it still burned. Breathing heavily and blinking back tears, she twisted the rearview mirror and hissed at what she saw.

Though her eye had been spared, the flesh all around it was raw and red; she thought it might scar. She reached up to touch the skin around it, pausing when she noticed how deep the cash in her palm was. She was bleeding, a lot. Eira fumbled with her keys and tried to start her truck; the engine sputtered uselessly at her. Cursing in every language she knew how to, (which was English, Spanish, and a handful of French words she'd picked up from Melody) she leapt out of the truck. After a brief, hesitant look at the mechanical man, she pulled out her phone and turned away.

"Cat? Cat, I need you to pick me up from the garage. I really screwed up this time."

* * *

Look at that, something happened. We also get a brief visit from Thundercracker and Skywarp, and also Eira has sisters.

Catrina Quinlan is the name of the character I was going to use for _Curiosity & The Cat,_ which is the story about Soundwave and a human that I scrapped in favor of this one. The song Starscream hears is _Savior_ by _Rise Against._

Somehow this ended up shorter than the last chapter because I keep changing the order in which I want things to happen. Apologies. And I'd like to thank all of you for reviewing, and for reading!


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